Re: Level Training Field

[Guest guest]

I wasn't going to get into this since we seem to talk this age old

problem to death but after considering once again both sides of this

passionate issue I would just like to bring up some points to ponder.

makes a wonderful argument based on the human desire to win and

do whatever it takes. I agree to some extent with this. I also believe

that drugs and other illegal performance enhancing substances are used

at all levels of athletic performance by a great many athletes despite

our best efforts to stop it.

I wonder about his argument. Is there any reason to believe that

athletes would be in any more danger than they are now if we made

anything legal. After all the hype does any one know exactly how many

athletes have suffered any more trauma from performance enhancing drugs

than other aspects of their training. Would it not also be safe to

assume that if it were legal that the athlete would have available more

safe and reliable substances as well as being better monitored. The

idea would be to keep the athlete healthy and enhance his/her

performance not kill them. Are real steroids any more dangerous when

administered as part of a training program by professional trainers and

physicians as opposed to the crap that kids buy over the counter from

GNC. Is drug testing really effective. I can tell you that in the

federations I lift in that more powerlifters have gotten positive drug

tests from what were once legal prohormones in the past five years than

anything else.

On the other hand let's consider one drug that was once illegal and now

is legal-alcohol. Alcohol is responsible for more deaths and human

misery than all other illegal drugs put together (I can provide the

exact stats on that if you don't want to take my work for it). It is a

factor in 70-80% of crime in America. It was once almost stamped out

despite all the movies and TV shows showing prohibition did not work,

the facts actually show that it did. Now steroids are not alcohol but

the analogy is that we could actually create a monster by legalizing

them in society and in sport. I have looked at both sides of this issue

and spoke of it on several occassions with Dr. Siff and have no more

answers now than I did then.

I do believe this. We need to decide once and for all if we want to

really get rid of performance enhancing drugs. We then need to find

ways to make that work. Finally, we need to quit being hypocritical and

dramatic. We need to talk about the facts not the hype and we do that

by educating ourselves on these drugs and just what they do and don't

do. As a police officer and father of four children all of who are

athletes I can attest that kids see through bull---- immediately and

tune you out. Logical reasoning and presentation of true facts and

evidence will go a lot further toward convincing them of the right thing

to do.

I am utterly astounded and embarrassed by the utter stupidity that

abounds in the demonizing of these drugs and those who use them. Why

are we so surprized when a man late in his professional career takes

performance enhancing drugs to maintain his position on top and the

salary and prestige that go with it. And do we actually think that

there are only a few atheletes who are helping themselves to an edge.

We need to wake up to the fact in America that access to performance

enhancing drugs has not been successfully curtailed, that highschool

kids and younger are using them in abundance as well as a huge amount of

college and professional athletes. Until we decide what we really want

to do and arm ourselves with factual infomation of what we are fighting

how can we ever hope to defeat it.

These are just my thoughts based on my experience and education and by

no means do I have any or all of the answers. I just think this is a

serious and complex problem that we as a world community have never ever

fully engaged with a commitment to solve.

Eddie White

Blue Springs, MO.